I Think, Therefore you Aren't
by NatureG45
Summary: Creak…Creak…Creak… Lucy's not as alone in her apartment as she thinks.


She thinks she sees it out the corner of her eye, the soft glow of eyes in the darkest corners, always following her curiously. The gnash of teeth too sharp and too white in what could've been a smile or a snarl.

She could never quite tell.

Sometimes she hears. A growl or 2 when friends stay the night or a whispered ' _hello_ ' and a weak chuckle so faint it might've been just a trick of her mind.

But most importantly, she _feels_.

Splotches of warmth that tingle up her arms and feather across her cheeks feel almost like fingers ghosting cautiously over her skin. And when the sun begins to rise or in the wee hours on the tethers of night and day, her mattress dips this way and that in no way that's possibly natural.

She thinks there's something here with her but she know better. The apartment is hers and hers alone, this she knows. But sometimes she thinks otherwise, outside what she knows.

So that's why once, just this once, Lucy tries to see what isn't there.

It's past midnight she knows, wrapped up under her covers and watching the seconds trickle by through the glow of the clock on her nightstand. Her eyes are tired, slipping to a close every now and then but she forces them back open, waiting. Listening.

 _Creak…_

 _Creak…_

 _Creak….._

"Hello?" Lucy tries, feeling rather silly. "Is there anyone there?" She shifts slightly to peer over the blanket. To the foot of her bed is bathed in pale moonlight and beyond's swallowed up by the dark night.

It was quiet like the night's supposed to be but the air felt, off, charged with static and tense like her heart thundering in her chest. _It's there._

Her skin prickled as she squinted, gaze quickly jumping between the room's dark corners suspiciously. It must've been the building settling in the night's chill, letting off long winded groans as the day's heat left it in 's what she hoped, what Lucy wanted to believe so she could simply roll over and fall into the first restful sleep she's had in a while. All Lucy's gotten these past few weeks were fitful rests, always cut short by the eyes that followed her, piercing through her dreams and leaving her in cold sweat 'til the sun poked its rays through the window.

 _CreEEeeeaAaaaAAk…_

There it was again, longer and heavier like someone finally putting their foot down in one decisive step. Lucy's eyes narrowed glaring at the corner furthest from her, absolutely sure that's where it came. She could feel the seconds barely tick by,oozing like sludge as her fingers curled in the sheets.

"I know you're there." Lucy whispers irritably, pulling her covers in one swift motion over her head. "I'm not crazy." She mumbled.

She may have shielded herself beneath the covers, but Lucy didn't call for sleep. Her eyes begged her for the sweet relief yet they remained defiantly open, watching the slight rise and fall of the sheet from her shallow breaths.

Her fingers tapped softly on her upper thigh, growing more irritable with each passing minute. It wouldn't come out now, not after such a brazen outburst. Whatever 'it' was, was either shy or an ass and would wait until she fell into a deep enough slumber before it made another move, poking its head uninvited in her dreams.

Lucy blew out a frustrated breath, turning on her side and rubbed her cold feet together. She hissed at their numbness, curling tighter into a ball. Maybe tonight wasn't the night.

Maybe tonight was just gonna be like yesterday- long and leaving her breathless- and not in the happy ending sort of way.

She's done her research, set traps for Polaroid photos and done almost whatever else a tormented person might do to prove they're not crazy. What little evidence she'd garnered- if it could even be called that- was barely anything to ease her mind. There was always something else that could maybe explain it, her dog, the faucet, the window she always left cracked for that sweet bit of night air.

But she could still feel the presence, cold and unusual and yet somehow burning hot whipping round her, almost taunting. It had her at her wits end being terrified all the time. Lucy didn't think the bags under her eyes could get bigger and yet they did each and every day.

She bit back a yawn rising in the back of her throat. The sleep beckoned her, a tempting mistress that promised her a good time if only she'd just let her worries go and sink into the softness, to let the black wave wash over her. Her eyelids drooped, the clock on her nightstand whispered softly nearby. _Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock._ Maybe now she could-

 _Ccc-CCRReeeAAK….._

Her eyes snapped back open to narrow to slits as she glared at the sheet,hearing it take another decisive step towards the bed. Guess she'll lie with the mistress later. Her heart might be pounding and her nerves firing off all at once but she was, for the lack of a better word, _pissed_ , and this thing is gonna get what's coming to it. She'll think about the consequences later.

So she lies in wait, it advancing for her. The steps were heavy and slow, as if it thought carefully about where to walk next. The floorboards creaked and groaned beneath its weight and her brows furrowed in concentration, listening keenly. Every now and then there was a heavy thump between steps,followed by the slither, the dry _'shhhh_ ' of …..something dragging behind it.

It made a rhythm- _creak, thump, shhh, creak, thump, shhh_ \- that made her take a sharp breath through her nose as it came to a stop by her right. She almost lost it when she feels a chill cautiously grasp her upper arm through the sheet but kept the shriek inside, coming out as a weak snort as the chill slid to circle her wrist. The bed dipped, old springs screeching at the newcomer. Almost like her thoughts going wild, banging around inside her head trying to get out in an actual screech.

But she kept them inside, her breaths coming quicker and making the covers flutter away from her forehead. The chill around her wrist grew warm then gradually hot, almost unbearably so in mere seconds. A sharpness pricked her knuckle- tapping once, then twice, then a third driving through the sheet to pierce her skin.

Lucy bit her lip as she felt the blood well up from the broken skin, sticking the sheet to her knuckle. It knew she was awake.

Lucy flexed her fingers beneath its grip and it let go, allowing her to rise in a sitting position. Still, she had the sheet over her face, not quite ready to face it yet even with its eyes staring at her through the veil. They glowed, a soft shimmer in the dark that held her gaze steady and unblinking, waiting expectantly for her.

Suddenly a wave of annoyance shoots through her. This, this _thing_ torments her, stabs her and now has the gall to act as though it was in charge? Screw this thing. Lucy was doing this on her own terms. She ripped the sheet from her face, the fabric pooling at her waist as she fixes it with a withering glare like it was a naughty pet instead of a creature outside of normalcy.

" _You._ " Lucy said, the word dripping with poison.

The creature blinks, its eyes shifting from green to red then back when it blinks again. It looked more human than she figured it would, tearing her gaze from the mesmerizing colours to finally get a good look.

If she didn't focus then it looked almost like a man by the foot of her bed, around her age and sitting just beyond the touch of moonlight though she could still make out its marred brown skin with silvery white scars criss-crossing all over. Almost though isn't enough. It blinks red as Lucy's eyes roam, focusing on everything all at once.

Horns spiraled from its head, curling to wicked points above unruly hair- pink and unnaturally bright in the dark as it tilted its head, eyeing her curiously. It pondered her word then grins, lips pulling back over dark gums and bright teeth. A mouth full of canines were bared at her in what seemed more like a snarl than anything else.

"It's me." It says playfully, stabbing its fingers in the mattress. They were pulled out with soft pops and Lucy realized what pierced her. Claws, curved and blunt on few fingers with most coming to straight, deadly points. They almost distracted her from the scarlet scales trailing up its arms, blending smoothly with skin like intricate tattoos that gleamed dully. It scratched at its elbow, a grating sound as nails ran evenly over thick scales.

Lucy curls her legs closer to her, a lump forming in her throat under its weighty stare. " What are you?" A _thump_ made Lucy jump back on her bedpost when the creature slides closer to her, heavy tail rising off the floor to curl near her toes. Spiny ridges scratched her soles, the creature's grin widens.

"I'm something." It purred.

"Do you have a name?" Lucy retorted, fear receding for a moment at its curt answer.

"No."

"Are you real?" Lucy asks, carefully picking her words. "Do you think I am?" It shoots back, clearly enjoying the back and forth questions as mirth grew in its shifting eyes. The tail crawls to rest on her calf. A heavy presence that made her hold her lips in a thin line before she answered.

"I'm not sure." Lucy said truthfully.

It clucked its tongue in disappointment and its tail retreated, curling behind its back and it frowned. "Then I won't answer." Oh so it wanted to be cryptic, huh? Not answer her questions? Fine, whatever. Lucy's lip curled in a sneer as she leaned forward to rest her chin on her knuckle.

"Don't be like that." It admonished, frown deepening.

And now it was gonna reprimand her. Great, at least now the sleep deprivation was working with her since her annoyance kept growing by the second.

"I don't care." She snapped, rocking forward a bit on her knuckle. Her sneer disappeared with a snarl of her own. "I don't care." Lucy repeats harshly. "I just want to sleep without you sticking you _something_ head in my dreams. I don't care who or what you are, or _why_ for that matter, but I just want to sleep. Can you do that for me?"

It looks at her, eyes wide with surprise for a moment then narrowed to weak slits in amusement. It too leans forward mirroring her pose- chin on knuckle- to where she's staring straight into its eyes. Their noses brush and It exhales a weak puff at her, a grey mist that swirled and fanned her cheeks with warmth. She almost reels back at the scent that overcomes her, wood smoke and cloves. Her thoughts cloud over and she rapidly blinks away the fog to try to clear her head.

Suddenly it straightens, amusement gone and its features blank- eyes going empty and hard. Lucy doesn't move but she watches it warily, free hand tightening into a ball on her lap.

The creature stays rigid by her feet, tail wriggling slightly. Mechanically - and hauntingly innocent- its head tilts to fix her with rounded eyes, flashing neither red nor green, but gold for the briefest of moments.

"So how else am I supposed to feed?" It murmured. The question hung hollow and empty, reverberating around the room and ringing in Lucy's ears.

Feed….? What does it mean by…..?

The pieces strung themselves together- feed, her dreams, its eyes- and Lucy almost flies to her feet, hands drawn to her chest while her face contorted into a mask. Too many emotions were trying to force their way up and be seen but the fear in her eyes and the disgusted curl of her lip were enough.

"You've been feeding….off my dreams." Lucy stated pointedly, more to herself as though saying the fact out loud would make it more plausible.

The creature still hadn't moved, remaining stock still with not even the slightest rise of its chest. Her legs tangled in the sheets, pulling to her chest as well.

Wait, did it breathe? She hadn't noticed if it did.

"Well?" Lucy demanded, voice shaky and strained. "At least say something!"

The creature blinked green, head cocking stiffly to the other side. Its neck cracked loudly at the motion and Lucy winced, feeling her own neck twinge in response.

Then she heard it, soft at first then growing in timbre,shaking her bones. It was laughing. Scratchy and dry from the back of its throat that pulled its lips back over teeth again. She couldn't describe it properly, maybe like the hiss of steam escaping a broken kettle with a sharp whistle every other wheeze. It rattled and shook the creature as it rose to full height above her, tail falling to the floor with a heavy thud by its feet.

Cold rolled off it in waves by her side, laughter dying down to but a simple curl at the corners of its lips.

"So you want to make a deal then?" There was a coyness to its words, masking something else. It extended a hand, moonlight turning claws silver as it leveled with her face. Lucy felt compelled to take it, hand twitching in her lap but let it rest there.

"What are the terms?" "Acceptable." It said simply, wiggling its fingers slightly.

She rose her hand, stopping just short of dropping it in the creature's. She searched its eyes for something, _anything_ , that would set off the alarms in her head but she couldn't find it. Just a haunting gaze watching her expectantly like it already knew her answer.

" Will you really leave me to rest?" Her hand hovered inches above, the chill warming slightly. It said nothing, smile only widening.

"As long as you want."

Lucy gulped, her throat dry as she came to an answer. With a sharp inhale she dropped her hand, feeling the clawed fingers wrap around her securely. A claw ran over the cut on her knuckle, aggravating the broken skin once more. The creature watched as the blood beaded, coating it scarlet with rapt attention, a gleam in the creature's eye.

The contact was short, Lucy's hand hovered in the air falling slowly back to her lap while it stepped back. The floor didn't creak.

It slunk further away into the shadows not breaking eye contact and brought its finger, the one smeared with her blood, to its lips. Eyes and teeth were all she could see as the darkness swallowed up the creature in the corner it came from.

Lucy swore she saw its tongue dart out, wiping the red clean from its claw. The smirk faded away when its tongue darted out again, swiping along its lower lip.

It blinked once red. Then green. Then red again, gold flecks burning from their center. Something is whispered at Lucy but she can't hear. It only reaches her as a low rush of breath. The creature's eyes close and melts into the corner without a sound

She's alone again in her room, like the encounter never even happened.

Suddenly she feels weak, fatigue washing over her like she hadn't slept in years, eyes burning and begging for her to close them and she couldn't find the strength like before to keep them open.

Dropping back on the pillow, not even bothering to pull at her covers, a spine tingling yawn left her. She still focused on the corner, waiting for it to peer back at her once more but there was nothing.

No emeralds or rubies blinked back at her. No creaks or thuds. Nothing.

Had it really all just happened in her head?

Warmth swirled from the corner, bringing with it the scent of cloves and wood smoke. Spicy and intoxicating pulling her eyes to a close.

It wrapped around her as Lucy turned on her side, eyelids finally snapping shut.

The clock on her night stand went by slowly- _tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock-_ then halted to a stop. With effort she cracked an eye just in time to see the hands fall useless inside its face.

Lucy turned over, wincing slightly at her knuckle when the tiredness washed over her, stronger this time and her vision blurred.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she'll replace the batteries. Lucy closed her eye with a soft sigh, allowing for the sleep to take her at last. Cloves and wood smoke filled her nose.

It's fuzzy and slow, crawling at her from the corners of her mind as gold seeped wrapped her and kept her still, holding her to the mattress. Lucy's breaths came out weak, barely causing her chest to rise.

Gold flared in the corner and flooded her mind and she stiffened for a moment, breath in her nose.

With a final exhale,Lucy slips off peacefully. The gold bled away and the floors gave its last creak.

The decisive step of something turning away.


End file.
